In Salem, Virginia football is a way of life. Every Friday night at 7 a clock around eight to nine thousand people pile in to Salem Stadium. Salem prides itself on tradition and doing everything in a formal and old-school way which is why I think Salem is the perfect discourse community. Salem embodies everything a discourse community is and should be. For a city of 26,000 it may sound like a lot of people but it completely feels like a small town because everyone knows everybody.
If you have ever seen the movie Friday Night Lights, you would know what it’s like to live in a football town where everything in the town revolves around those football nights. You have certain fans in that movie that say certain things and dress certain ways and that’s what makes the town of Odessa unique. In Salem when I think of a Friday night I think of “The Old Mule Guy” aka Lee Eubanks a Salem legend, and the fireball guy who every game no matter the weather wears bright red and white striped shorts and hands out fireballs to all the kids. I think of my parents who have sat in the same reserved seats for years with the same exact friends for as long as I can remember. You have the student section which …show more content…
From all the years of football in Salem you get a lot of sayings and old traditions that the community and players live on. “The Proving Grounds” a sign that hangs above all four of Salem’s practice fields has been the staple to how hard the players go in practice to prove themselves. Then you have Mac n Bobs a restaurant in Salem where before a Friday night game about everyone in Salem is there and after all the high schoolers and football players go back to watch Friday football extra. You have the tradition of Salem boosters who meet every Wednesday in Mrs. Diars room after Salem’s practice that day and discuss where to spend the money for the football team and
If you have ever seen the movie Friday Night Lights, you would know what it’s like to live in a football town where everything in the town revolves around those football nights. You have certain fans in that movie that say certain things and dress certain ways and that’s what makes the town of Odessa unique. In Salem when I think of a Friday night I think of “The Old Mule Guy” aka Lee Eubanks a Salem legend, and the fireball guy who every game no matter the weather wears bright red and white striped shorts and hands out fireballs to all the kids. I think of my parents who have sat in the same reserved seats for years with the same exact friends for as long as I can remember. You have the student section which …show more content…
From all the years of football in Salem you get a lot of sayings and old traditions that the community and players live on. “The Proving Grounds” a sign that hangs above all four of Salem’s practice fields has been the staple to how hard the players go in practice to prove themselves. Then you have Mac n Bobs a restaurant in Salem where before a Friday night game about everyone in Salem is there and after all the high schoolers and football players go back to watch Friday football extra. You have the tradition of Salem boosters who meet every Wednesday in Mrs. Diars room after Salem’s practice that day and discuss where to spend the money for the football team and